Awards Gala

The NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala is an annual celebration of the men and women who work in America’s public schools and of the unique bonds that educators and students share.

Grantees

To improve student literacy and public speaking, Ms. Chill and Ms. Peck’s fourth grade students will host daily news programs for the entire school. The broadcasts will focus primarily on social studies themes, allowing students to report on both past and present ... more »

To address an influx of students at Franklin High School due to the closure of another school within the district, Mrs. Anglada Bartley and Ms. Garrett will expand the Advanced Scholar Program, which requires students to commit to taking four advance placement classes ... more »

Lawrence-Lawson Elementary students will become actively engaged in technology using iPod Touch devices. Feeding the 21st Century Learner with Technology will motivate students to increase their knowledge of reading and math skills while differentiating instruction to meet ... more »

Biofouling: It's a sticky situation

George Barlow’s high school science students at East Valley High School
in Spokane, WA, immersed themselves in the scientific method during a
yearlong project in which they created and tested environmentally
friendly materials ... more »

Ms. Persson and Ms. Boardman will incorporate the use of laptop computers into their classrooms to support the integration of the arts and technology with the disciplines of science, language arts, and social studies. Student work in the core curriculum will connect with ... more »

Educators at Spring Hill Elementary will introduce Discover Intensive Phonics with the objective of helping at-risk students increase their decoding and reading skills. Ms. Foland and Mrs. Pena will implement the program and monitor improvements in students’ reading ... more »

The Hudson Appalachia Project will provide students with a service learning opportunity in rural Ohio. Students will participate in a week of service which includes volunteering at several nonprofit and educational organizations. Through classroom instruction and community ... more »

Through
Connecting Cultures Across the World,
students at Mendenhall Middle School will correspond with their peers in a
sister school in Tema, Ghana. Students
in each school will create videos about their school, town, region, and
country. Video versions of ... more »

Students will explore the realities of extreme poverty in their communities and at the global level through Eradicating Global Issues through 21st Century Technology. Students will identify latent issues and produce videos about the issues and ways to eradicate them. Mrs. ... more »

Mrs. Piscetta and Ms. West will upgrade Belmont Middle School’s Accelerated Reader Program with AR Enterprise, a web based application which will enhance their ability to reach all students. The program is designed to encourage independent reading and measure student ... more »

To increase student engagement and provide differentiation for students in math classes, Mr. de Varona and Mr. Watson will create a new course that integrates algebra and geometry and focuses on project based learning. Students will create and post high quality online ... more »

Ms. Cruse will lead a team of educators in the implementation of Kindles and eBooks at Lawrence School. The project will improve students’ ability to analyze and interpret text by allowing them to practice active reading comprehension strategies while developing ... more »

Through Building Bridges with Ecuador, Ms. Groeneman and Mrs. Lyddane will work with a team of student volunteers to give humanitarian services to indigenous people in Ecuador. Three service teams will provide healthcare, education, and community construction improvements. ... more »

As part of a unit on culture and ethnocentrism, students in Mr. Eldridge’s sociology course will visit local ethnic restaurants, using food as a foundation for broader discussions of culture. Students will work with local chefs to prepare traditional meals of ... more »

Mrs. Dufrene and Mrs. Sevin will introduce the MyMathLab online program into eighth grade pre-algebra classes. The program will allow students to take control of their own learning as they work at their own pace and receive immediate feedback after completing assignments, ... more »

Soaring Higher to Literacy Success will utilize a research based intervention program to help at-risk fourth and fifth graders accelerate their reading ability and apply decoding and comprehension strategies learned in reading class to other subjects. Mrs. Belcher and Mrs. ... more »

Through Music and Digital Storytelling to Support Literacy, Mrs. Scarpelli and Mrs. Rakoczy will teach students to create digital stories with animation and eBooks applications on the iPad2. Using a nursery rhyme framework, each digital story will include pictures, written ... more »

Dr. Lazerson and Ms. Kalitan develop a music curriculum for special
needs students. Students form a choir group using American Sign Language
and learn the fundamentals of rhythm and drums. Playing instruments
such as snares, bass drums, cymbals, and congas, the ... more »

To enhance diversity and inclusion at Chestnut Elementary, Ms. Dickenson and Mrs. Carter will develop a school wide program to expose students to multiple cultures. Every month, students at each grade level will choose a different country to research and create digital ... more »

La Mirada Elementary students will participate in historic reenactments to build background knowledge and key vocabulary related to California’s history. Students will be immersed with a tour of a seventeenth century clipper ship, a walk on paths used by Spanish ... more »

To improve English language learners’ understanding of algebra, Mr. Villegas will lead an initiative to offer physics class as a support for ELL algebra students. In teaching algebra and physics in tandem, Mr. Villegas and Mr. Rutherford will transform the physics ... more »

Mrs. Towne will develop a hands-on, face-to-face training program that will enable school nurses to prepare for mandatory online training properly. The program will be a training opportunity that will enable other nurses to correctly use their screening equipment, network ... more »

Mrs. Ibson and six colleagues at Harwood Union Middle/High School will form a study group to explore interactive instructional strategies using iPads to improve engagement and academic performance. After an initial training, the group will research educational apps with a ... more »

Mrs. Robinson-Carney will strengthen her professional practice and improve her teaching performance by obtaining national board certification. Through a series self assessments? including videotaping classroom sessions, documenting quality instruction and planning, and ... more »

To increase her knowledge of integrating student owned technology in the classroom, Ms. Herrmann will attend and present at the Texas Computer Education Association Convention. She will discuss ways to encourage students to use their personal technology as learning tools in ... more »

East Greenwich Public Schools, East Greenwich, RI Grades K-5, Education Support Professional 2011, Fall

Ms. Simmons and Ms. Macleod will lead an effort to implement assistive technology tools to enhance new student integration and learning. The team will work to improve their skills in developing creative and engaging ways to foster inclusion and learning for all ... more »

Dr. Getman will lead of team of third and sixth grade educators through a collaborative professional learning community that will enable participants to perfect their instructional strategies. Specifically, groups of educators will attend sessions at Columbia ... more »

Dr. Rooks will examine individuals who have taken “alternative” pathways into the teaching profession. Specifically, she will analyze sixty in-depth, semi-structured interviews with participants, staff, and critics of Teach for America, the largest ... more »

Mrs. Huset and Mrs. Kuschke will implement an action research project in which students will learn to “read pictures,” discuss authors’ purposes, and analyze the word choices used in texts. Painting techniques will also be taught, as students will create ... more »

Teachers and education support professionals in Alpena Public Schools and surrounding school districts will be trained in the curricular framework presented in Charlotte Danielson’s Enhancing Professional Practice. Staff will be trained in the Danielson rubric and ... more »

Ms. Walker and Mrs. Moy will lead an action research study of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) as a tool to improve the teaching and learning of English language learners at Sargent Shriver Elementary School. The group looks to improve the performance ... more »

Dr. Martens and her colleagues will investigates how global literature— stories with settings outside the US— supports and develops first and second grader students’ intercultural understandings. A study group of seven teachers and two university ... more »

To create a collaborative environment that will improve student achievement, Mrs. Pickrell and her colleagues will establish professional learning communities that share a common vision. The communities will be comprised of collaborative teams focusing on learning and best ... more »

Mrs. Benac will participate in comprehensive training of the Orton-Gillingham methodology, a research based approach to learning that has been proven to benefit students who struggle with reading, spelling, and writing activities. By completing the training, Mrs. Benac will ... more »

Mr.
Jones will attend the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s
Project 2061 Workshop in Washington, DC. While there, he will study Project 2061's approach to science assessment
and its procedures for developing effective items that are carefully ... more »

Mr. Steins will complete the nine unit Gifted and Talented Education (G.A.T.E.) Certification courses at the University of California Irvine Extension so that he can effectively differentiate instruction for his school's gifted learners. Upon completion of the program, Mr. ... more »

Through It’s My Life, Mr. Fraser and colleagues will amass data predicated on studies and research that examine whether high school students are more likely to succeed in school and adult life if they receive daily life skills instruction and are given a “road ... more »

To help provide students and staff at The Integrated Arts Academy with the most current, professional school nursing knowledge and skills in the specialty practice of school nursing, Mrs. Mongeon will attend the National Association of School Nurses' Annual ... more »

To better communicate with an increasing Spanish speaking population at Potomac Senior High, Mr. Williams will travel to Guatemala to participate in The Casa Xelaju’s three week Spanish Immersion Program. The program will require five hours of daily classroom ... more »

Mr. Borgelt and his colleagues will form a study group to explore how to better prepare students for the academic rigors of Algebra I. The study group will evaluate the effectiveness of the current math curriculum and identify, implement, and evaluate assessments, ... more »

Mr. Wetzel will attend a SMART Certified Training to gain an understanding of the full capabilities of the interactive whiteboards at Licking Heights Central Middle School. Post training, Mr. Wetzel will train colleagues on effective whiteboard use and will ... more »

Ms. Wright will participate in an Earthwatch Institute expedition, studying Trinidad's leatherback sea turtles. As a member of the scientific research team she will participate in satellite tracking and collect data about migration patterns and habitat to predict ... more »

Mr. Yonitch will attend a cultural and language program in Peru, where he will live with a host family and attend Spanish language classes. Upon completion, Mr. Yonitch will return to Washington School and share his knowledge with colleagues and students, sixty-five ... more »

To reduce student risk factors and promote student achievement, Mrs. Kissell will implement the “Teachers Teaching Teachers” project at Anaconda High School. Mrs. Kissell will lead a collegial study within the math department with the goals of improving ... more »

Mrs. Holtz will participate in four brain based education courses at the University of St. Thomas. Upon completing the courses, Mrs. Holtz will assist in advancing brain based research and teaching strategies in her school and district. Additionally, Mrs. Holtz ... more »

Mrs. Mecikalski will attend the International Reading Convention in Orland, Florida. At the workshop, Mrs. Mecikalski will study ways to improve the reading scores of students at Pinewood Elementary, particularly Hispanic and African American populations. Upon ... more »

Mr. Givand will investigate the use of technology in several school districts in Minnesota in an attempt to understand its relationship to student achievement. In addition to examining the best practices of effective technology integration, Mr. Givand will examine ... more »

Four members of the Grand Rapids Public Schools staff will attain certification as behavior analysts, requiring intense training in effective instruction for students with autism. In obtaining this certification, the colleagues will provide ongoing training and ... more »

Ms. Stewart will travel to Ghana for three weeks to study the musical traditions of the Ewe people. As a result of her research, Ms. Stewart will revise her music curriculum to include an in depth unit for the upper elementary grades exploring West African music, ... more »

Teachers in the World Languages professional learning community will learn how to create highly interactive lessons using Livescribe Smartpens. The pens will then be introduced to classrooms, where students will be able to use them to record lectures and word ... more »

Watch the event!

Did you miss the live stream of the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala on February 13, 2015? Now, you can watch the event in its entirety right here!

As one of the most prestigious awards events in public education, the NEA Foundation’s gala attracts more than 800 national education leaders and supporters to honor these educators each year in Washington, D.C.

Celebrating 39 educators from across the country

This year, 39 educators selected by their peers received the California Casualty Awards for Teaching Excellence. In addition to these awards, the following top honors were presented.

Who won the evening’s top honor?

Terri Butts, a curriculum effectiveness specialist for the Richland 2 Child Development Center in Columbia, SC, and a member of the South Carolina Education Association, received the evening's top honor: The NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence and $25,000. This award recognizes, rewards, and promotes excellence in teaching and advocacy for the profession.

Butts and four other educators also received the Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence. These five educators were finalists for the evening's top award.

Watch Terri Butts' acceptance speech below.

Photo (left to right): Gary Phoebus, President and CEO of NEA Member Benefits; Terri Butts; Harriet Sanford, President and CEO of the NEA Foundation

Five educators receive top awards

These five extraordinary educators from across the country received the Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence, and found themselves finalists for the evening’s top award. And their students have already benefitted. Each class received digital arts training from Scena Media to produce a video, which premiered at the gala, to honor their award-winning teachers.

The NEA Foundation also presented award-winning children’s author, Walter Dean Myers, posthumously, and his son, award-winning illustrator and author, Christopher Myers, with the First National Bank of Omaha Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education, honoring their lifelong contributions to children’s literature.

The father-son duo collaborated on stories for and about children of color who don’t see themselves reflected in children’s literature. According to a study by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin, only 93 of the 3,200 children’s books published in 2013 were about black people. In an op-ed for the New York Times in March 2014, Walter Dean Myers wrote, “What is the message when some children are not represented in those books?”

Their collaborative works include “Jazz,” a winner of the Coretta Scott King award for illustration, “Harlem,” a Caldecott Honor book, “Blues Journey,” and “We are American: a tribute from the heart,” to name a few.

This award recognizes individuals and organizations for their lifelong commitment to advancing public education and is typically presented to those who work outside the field. Awardees have included former President Bill Clinton, Title IX advocate Billie Jean King, and Sesame Workshop.

In honor of Walter Dean Myers, Christopher Myers, and their wonderful family, First Book dedicated a gift of 5,000 brand new books to children in need across the country. First Book is a social enterprise that currently serves more than 155,000 programs and classrooms serving children in need ages 0-18 years of age. First Book hopes that everyone serving children in need will join their network and continue to grow the Myers' family legacy of high quality, diverse content for all children.

Watch Christopher Myers' acceptance speech.

Photo (left to right): Donna Meacham Blackman, Member of the NEA Foundation Board of Directors; Crystal Brown, Chair of the NEA Foundation Board of Directors; Harriet Sanford, President and CEO of the NEA Foundation; Honoree Christopher Myers, award-winning illustrator and author; Lily Eskelsen García, NEA President; Stephen Eulie, Executive Vice President Consumer Banking of First National Bank of Omaha

Hosted by actress and activist Anne-Marie Johnson

Anne-Marie Johnson, who most recently appeared in the TNT series, "Murder in the First," and is best known for her role as Althea Tibbs on the hit television series, "In the Heat of the Night," and as a cast member of the sketch comedy series, "In Living Color," hosted the event.

Johnson helped celebrate exceptional public school educators alongside more than 50 student performers— many of whom are past NEA Foundation gala stars, invited back for an encore.

Students take the stage for return performances

From Montgomery County, Maryland, the Sogo African Rhythm Ensemble of 35 drummers and dancers from Forest Knolls Elementary, who performed at last year’s gala, took the stage under the direction of educator, Lou Persic.

Also returning this year was Blessed Sheriff, a young poet, who performed two original poems with last year’s gala host, Tony Award-winning actress, Phylicia Rashad, of “The Cosby Show” fame. Sheriff performed her tribute to the Walter Dean Myers alongside Joseph Morag, a violinist and first chair and concertmaster of the New York Youth Symphony. A second tribute to Myers came from young writers from Lee County, Florida, who performed an interpretation of Walter Dean Myers’ acclaimed book, “The Story of the Three Kingdoms.”

Memorable performances also include Brooklyn-based singer and Princeton musicology doctoral student, Cory Hunter, who is lead soloist of the Boys Choir of Harlem, as well as the Counterpoints, directed by Michael Raunik, from Indianapolis, Indiana, who have been ranked the nation’s top concert show choir.